Til Someone Gets Hurt: A Cautionary Tale
by Intothewickedwood
Summary: Synopsis: After Eloise Gardener stirs up more than enough trouble for them, Margot is left with nowhere to go but as far away from her girlfriend, Tilly, as possible. In trying to distract herself from the pain and guilt, she ends up traveling across the globe. A year later, Margot turns up for a long overdue visit. But is she the only one keeping secrets? In this verse, Margot an


Notes: Hey lovelies! This is like my fourth ever fanfiction so I still have absolutely no freaking idea what I'm doing! Yep! The titles are totally inspired by Mean Girls the Musical xD.

Rated: T

Word Count: 5.2k

Synopsis: After Eloise Gardener stirs up more than enough trouble for them, Margot is left with nowhere to go but as far away from her girlfriend, Tilly, as possible. In trying to distract herself from the pain and guilt, she ends up traveling across the globe. A year later, Margot turns up for a long overdue visit. But is she the only one keeping secrets?

In this verse, Margot and Tilly got as far as their date in 7x18 and continued seeing each other for a year up until unforeseen events occurred. Tilly is left feeling alone again but still has Rogers and Weaver. The curse takes longer to break.

Chapter One: A Cautionary Tale

"You know, of all the places I thought I'd see you again, I really didn't think it'd be here."

Leaning awkwardly against a misshapen lamppost, in the center of a secluded sidewalk, Tilly stood admiring the stars until she was forced to withdraw her blank gaze into the somber night. The familiarity of the disembodied voice compelled her to whip her head 'round. And there she was, with that crooked smirk, eyes flashing with her hands tucked in her pockets and rocking gently on her heels.

"Margot!"

Tilly darted towards the darker-blonde's side and, with the support of her right arm, hurdled the picket fence separating them so she could hold her close. Their embrace lingered a second too long; the smaller girl having no intention of releasing her dear friend without an unambiguous prompt. Tilly wrestled with herself, determined to choke back the cascade of tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She thought that if she could hold onto Margot for an eternity, every knot in her life would untie itself. Margot had that effect on her. She never failed to make her feel safe. Sensing that it might be the proper moment, they grudgingly released themselves and paused to take a look at one another.

"Well, someone seems happy to see me!" exclaimed Margot.

"I am," Tilly said, smiling and playfully thumping Margot's arm. "I really am! You know, just haven't seen you 'round here in a while. So anyway, what trouble you been getting into lately?" Tilly asked, her voice tight upon registering she'd been unconsciously mirroring the other girl; her hands were tucked firmly in the pockets of her own moss-colored jacket.

"I'm great! More than fine, actually. It got kinda lonely at times, traveling the big, wide world. It sure was an experience." She paused to not-so-subtly examine the curly-haired girl's reaction to her reply. "Yeah and how about you? I mean you're standing outside, alone, in the middle of the night, but I mean um…. dollar for your thoughts? ...That's what they say in England right?"

"Somethin' like that," confirmed the smaller girl, trying not to lose herself in the sea-blue green eyes of the hopeful woman standing before her. "Oh, it's my turn now. I've been feeling the right side up most days," Tilly replied swiftly, masking obvious distress behind a toothy grin.

"You sure? 'Cause it kinda looks like you're hiding something. I'm pretty good at knowing when you're hiding something."

"I'm just feeling a bit…."

Tilly averted her gaze and managed to let out a brief, strangled sound before she halted. Looking back up at Margot, she saw the taller girl leaning in for what was unmistakably intended to be a kiss. At this, Tilly's eyes broadened and she promptly stumbled back.

"Margot! What the hell are you doing?!"

Margot frowned. She was taken aback slightly by the abrupt change in atmosphere. The forget-me-not blue of her love's eyes was gone now, altered by the light of the luminous crescent in the sky no doubt. They were suddenly of icy-grey; the same icy-grey as Eloise's. And with that, they all came flooding back; the memories of what had transpired before she left to travel and the very reason she felt she had no choice other than to practically abandon the cult leader's daughter to begin with.

"Well, we never officially broke up, so I thought maybe I owed you a kiss. "

Margot's face dropped when she caught her love's bewildered gaze.

"Come on Tilly. I know what happened with that woman and all. And that was beyond terrible and no one deserves to get put through that- least of all you. But I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say, I think you still have feelings for me. I saw it, twinkling in your eye a while ago," jested Margot.

Tilly shook her head, concealing a broad grin beneath a facade one would associate with utter confusion. Margot teasingly stabbed a finger towards the other girl's eyes, challenging her to discard the figurative veil.

"Oh. There it is! I knew you'd come back twinkle!"

Tilly's attempts to resist tittering at the dark-blonde's endearing dorkiness fell flat. Her smile turned dark, as she was reminded that she wasn't about to allow herself to give in so easily.

"Margot, we can't just go back to where we left off."

"I just thought I…."

"I can't, Margot! I know I said I was okay with you leaving, but I was-I mean, I wasn't." Tilly shook her head violently, chastising herself for yet again getting her words tangled, especially in front of the one person she hoped would understand her most. But Margot wasn't supposed to be that person. It was all wrong. Everything was in the wrong place.

"Hey. Hey, It's okay. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. I mean I did, sorta," said Margot, the last sentence coming from the corner of her mouth. "But seriously, I'm sorry for upsetting you. That was way out of line."

"I was-I mean. I don't know! You're here now- that's what matters," Tilly continued, somewhat perplexed by her own indecisiveness.

"Well, it makes sense to me."

Margot beamed as Tilly bit down on her lip, refusing to let the corners of her mouth betray her. The wind was beginning to change color; it was somehow harsher; more turbulent. The barbed prickle of the chilling breeze forced Margot back into the chains of reality and impelled her to speak what was on her heart.

"I know I haven't seen you in a while I'm really sorry for that. But we had something, you know? Something special. I just thought, maybe..." Margot declared, dragging out the last words, her pale blue-green eyes alight with hope. "...we could give us a second try?"

The bespectacled woman shifted closer and closer towards her friend, whilst the blue-eyed blonde backed away with every stride until she found herself cornered, caught between adjacent brick walls. She found herself nose to nose with the ghost of the past and crumbled under the intense pressure.

"Margot I…. Wait. Margot, I'm supposed to be getting married tomorrow!" She abruptly announced. Her eyes dilated with horror, as she inwardly scolded herself for allowing impulsivity to have its way.

Then, there was nothingness. The eerie silence did nothing to quiet the cacophonous chatter in the curly-haired girl's mind. Margot couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. Tilly observed the dark-blonde's reaction and felt worryingly troubled by her somber expression. Sensing her evident dismay, Tilly took it upon herself to attempt to brighten the freshly dusky mood.

"Tonight was meant to be our joint bachelors, whatever you call it thing. Ivy wanted to keep it simple- just in case you were wondering why I'm in my normal clothes haha..." said Tilly, her chuckle fading into awkward stillness. "Margot, please say something. I'm not good with all this quiet. It's really starting to hurt my ears."

"Ivy," the dark-blonde whispered inexpressively.

"Yeah, Ivy. Look, I just came out here to get some air. That's all. I don't know if I can…. I mean. It doesn't matter. Actually, it does! Ugh! Never mind. Just don't listen to me, alright!" She inhaled deeply. "Let's just go into that house over there. I'll introduce you to the future Mrs. Tilly."

The former shipping-container-dweller had to essentially haul her all but motionless companion across the pavement and through the ebony gate of her modest, yet contemporary abode. The bespectacled blonde was of infuriatingly little aid in her trance-like state.

Upon finally recovering from her momentary shock, Margot hammered gingerly on the ivory front door. She felt completely overcome by seemingly perpetual trepidation. Ivy could be anyone. She could be kind. She could be gentle, but did it really matter? No matter what happened, Ivy would surely forever live in her shadow. Ivy could surely never love Tilly the way Margot did and always would, even if it had to be just as friends. Preferably really close friends.

The door swung half open and they were attended to by a well-kempt woman with thick, expresso-colored locks, just shy of meeting her shoulders. Although she was doe-eyed, she had a faint air of haughtiness in Margot's completely unbiased opinion. The brunette donned a white blouse, pencil skirt, and impossibly high heels.

"Oh, hey Tilly! I was looking for you everywhere. Hold on a sec. Who invited Harry Potter's spawn?" Ivy asked accusingly, her voice condescending; her tone betraying her seemingly ceaseless state of boredom.

"It's Margot. Ivy meet Margot. Margot meet Ivy. Can we come in now! It's freezing out here and if you don't let us in, you might just end up marrying a bloody snow-woman," threatened Tilly.

"Whatever. But first, you have to tell me the magic words. I dare you."

"Abracadabra, let us in or I'll chuck someone through the flipping window!" Tilly joshed.

Tilly's fiancé' granted her betrothed's request. An abundance of partygoers flooded every room. The melodious bass pulsated dangerously. Margot felt off-balance, she staggered to the nearest chair, pondering whether it was the raucous laughter of strangers and the blaring music or the situation at hand that had contributed to her flustered state. Ivy eyed Margot, reminding the bespectacled girl of the king vultures she'd encountered on her travels.

"So, Margot…... Oh, you're that Margot! Wonderful," the brunette singsonged, having to compete with the merciless clamor of the music and guests.

"Ivy, don't," Tilly pleaded.

"Yep, I'm Margot. Apparently, Tilly's ex-girlfriend now. But you can just call me Margot." Margot confirmed, defying every muscle in her body to allow some kind of response to her new mortal nemesis' offer of a straightforward handshake.

"Don't worry Honeybuns. I was just saying hi to your BFF over here. So, Margot. I can call you Margot, right? What brings you here? What brings an adventure-weirdo like you to our humble home?"

Ivy tried her utmost to withhold the venom that battled to escape her tongue. It wasn't like her- well, that'd be a lie, but under different circumstances, she might have considered the four-eyes an amiable, good-natured girl. Admittedly, such a person would make her want to throw up anyway but when it came to the only woman in Hyperion Heights to ever love her, she could no longer be held responsible for her actions.

"You know, on second thoughts, it's just Miss West," said Margot, crossing her arms in barely-veiled defiance.

"Since when?!" Tilly demanded.

"Since right now." Margot arose from her seat whilst flashing a tight-lipped smile and gritting her teeth to suppress a world load of insults. "And I headed down here, Daffodil, or whatever the hell your name is, to see how my best bud was. That's okay with you, right?" Margot clumsily rested an arm on Tilly's shoulder.

Ivy responded with a dangerously exaggerated gasp. "Is she for real?" the dark-haired girl scoffed, glaring at Tilly for an answer. "FYI, It's Miss Belfrey. Why don't we head somewhere where I can actually hear myself speak? I'll show you to our kitchen."

"Yeah. Bet you just love to hear the sound of your own voice," Tilly heard Margot sing-song under her breath.

Ivy escorted Margot and Tilly down the slender corridor and into the isolated kitchen, her heels clicking obnoxiously and in a manner that contrasted heavily with her extravagant gait. She switched four ceiling lights on with a single, graceful flick and slammed the door behind them. The tranquility within the four walls of the adequately-lit room caught Margot off-guard. However, such a façade only succeeded in causing an escalation of tension between the two women and made the bitter stench of loathing all the more pungent. As Ivy aggressively twisted and bolted several locks on the door, Margot proceeded to stand beside Tilly.

"Tilly! If you marry her, you'll have Victoria Belfrey for a mother in law. A.K.A. the woman who, from what I've heard, is pretty much the Wicked Witch of the West around here! Come on Tills, is that what you really want?!" Margot hissed. The smaller girl simply rolled her eyes. "And the girl has twelve locks on her Kitchen door. I mean, who the hell does that?!"

"Fourteen, actually," corrected Tilly. Margot glared at her in blank disbelief. "There's 14 locks on that door there, and I fitted them on."

"Hang on... why?"

"Ivy spends lots of time cooking all sorts, so sometimes we have little live animals trotting around the place and I don't really want to be watching the end of Wizard of Oz, with some giant turkey sitting next to me on the sofa. It would ruin the whole film!" Tilly teased half-heartedly. "And before you ask, I don't eat them. I've recently converted to vegetenarianism." Tilly nodded, evidently quite proud of herself.

"Vegetarianism? I get that."

"What, now?"

"Well, I think I would probably have done the same if I loved animals as much as you and had to watch them get…."

"Margot. Will you stop!"

Tilly's face turned ghost-white upon reflecting on what Margot was likely about to say. It could potentially become a living nightmare; marrying a woman who gets her thrills blissfully befriending animals, with the sole intent of double-crossing the poor, unwitting creatures and serving their livers on crockery days later.

Ivy sealed the final lock and pivoted on her heel to smirk at her fiancé and her taller friend. She had overheard every word of their hushed conversation but resolved that there'd be no fun in disclosing that information to them.

"So, Margot, stop talking. I'm gonna put this in simple terms, just so you can understand; Off-Her-Rocker-Girl here, and I are getting married tomorrow," said Ivy, enunciating every word, all whilst gesturing towards herself and Tilly in the most infuriatingly condescending way imaginable. "I know you two have history," the dark-haired woman continued, emphasizing her sarcasm by utilizing dramatic air quotes. "but hey, so did a bunch of other historical people, like umm…. Romeo and Juliet, or whatever they did. And I may be totally wrong here, but things didn't work out for those two geniuses in the end, did they?" She spat, her desperation surfacing now. Her fists were balled so tightly her knuckles had turned pale. She shot her rival a look of unadulterated disdain. "What I'm trying to say is; you're the past, I'm the future. Get over it"

"Errrr, do I get a say in this?!"

"Listen, Belfrey. I'm not here to cause trouble but you don't know half of the crap we've been through together. We had good days, and some bad. But you know what? We got through them. You don't get to say what we were or weren't." Margot shifted to face her old Love. Her gaze firm; eyes moist and both hands on the blonde's shoulders. "Tilly, you don't have to marry this bimbo wannabe. If you want, you can come live with me. You don't have to stay here."

"Umm, I can speak for myself, you know!"

"All right then Crazy Girl, who are you gonna go with? Please. If you really think you can deal without me here to scrub up your mess, look me in the eye and tell me that you'll be totally cool with that coffee shop-smelling hipster for the rest of both your miserable lives, instead of me?" Asked Ivy, silently praying her betrothed wouldn't give her the response she was sure she couldn't bear to hear.

"Tilly, I'm sorry. Of course, you get a say. It's supposed to be your wedding tomorrow. I guess there's a reason for that. I know you didn't agree to that for nothing," said Margot, leaning in to meet the curly-haired girl's frantic gaze and eyeing the brunette, before visibly crumpling; her gentle eyes brimming with tears.

Tilly hastened to caress the sodden cheeks of her old love. She shook her head in frenzied protest, her own tear-stained features betraying the intensity of her feelings. "No. No. I never wanted it to end up all upside down like this. I thought you wouldn't want me anymore after all that awful stuff happened."

The bespectacled girl angled her head to one side and smiled through fresh tears. "Of course, I want you. I left for you. But I came back. I just had to see your face, even if it's one last time."

Tilly paused for what felt like an eternity, before exhaling deeply and taking tentative steps towards her fiancé. She yearned to console her- to erase all her heartache, but she knew somewhere deep within that that would only exacerbate the unavoidable suffering.

"Ivy, before I say anything else, I'm awfully sorry, really, I am. The last thing I wanted was to end up being the one hurting you. But I- I don't think- I can't do this anymore. I feel sick all the time cause... well, I can't put my finger on it but, I know something's not right. I went out to the front just now, not to get fresh air in my lungs. I felt like I needed to breathe again. I feel suffocated here most days and I…. I really don't think I can marry you, Ivy."

"Yep, I can vouch for that. I saw her outside just now," offered Margot.

"Margot, will you…!" Tilly barked, reaching for the two cushions resting on neighboring stools a short distance from her and launched them at the bespectacled girl's torso.

"Oww!"

"Ivy, we just can't carry on like this. So, so much has changed since you and me met. I think deep down somewhere you know we're not working and you know that it's because the both of us- we just weren't what each other was expecting. Sorry Ivy, I really am. But I think you know we maybe don't love each other anymore. I think all of us know," Tilly confessed, her voice brittle, an endless fountain of remorse cascading down her cheeks.

"Wow. You're not seriously doing this to me right now." Ivy tilted her head to the heavens, making a fruitless effort to keep her breathing steady and her exterior unaltered. The damage was done, however. Tears were already relentlessly pricking at the corners of her reddening eyes. She slumped back to support herself on the wall and she clenched the pendant of her white rabbit-embroidered necklace. Her speech was almost incoherent; breathy and thin. "Remember that promise I made you; I fix you, you fix me. Clearly, your still as messed up as before I met you. And as much as I'd rather not admit it, I need you too."

"Hey, Jerkwad, don't speak to her like that!" Warned the aquamarine-eyed adventurer through clenched teeth, her face filled with the heat of indignation as her whole body trembled with unforeseen rage.

"And what are you gonna do, clobber me to death with your rucksack? Please. You have no idea what I'm capable of and you have no idea who's on my speed dial that I could call right now, and destroy both of you. Cross me- like, really cross me, I dare you." With arms folded, Ivy sauntered purposefully toward her rival, drawing ever closer, until Margot sensed her hot breath and for the first time, saw into the depths of the older woman's fragmented soul.

"Are you threatening us? Seriously?!" Margot felt her pulse pounding erratically in her ears. Her face already pale, became distorted by fury. Tilly drew both hands up to her mouth and let out a muffled shriek upon witnessing her former girlfriend shove her fiancé back, forcing the brunette to stumble into a nearby chair.

Ivy stood motionless where she landed, her mouth agape, her grip on the chair so secure it appeared as though she was preparing to launch the object right at Margot's head. Instead, she opted to take a moment to compose herself and simply flipped her hair out of her face. Then, she proceeded to thrust one hand in her back pocket, smiled darkly at the dark-blonde and rattled her cell phone in front of her tauntingly.

Margot couldn't discern what the now swollen-eyed woman was up to but she knew whatever it was it couldn't be good. She propelled herself forward in time for Ivy to flash the image of the person she was calling at that very moment. And sure enough, she recognized the woman's menacing features and wild strawberry-blonde braids immediately. Beneath the photograph, underlined was the apparent pseudonym, Mother Gothel. As in, like from Tangled? That made zero sense, but still, she knew that heartless demon to be Eloise Gardener- and worst of all, Tilly's mother. Margot's eyes dilated in slow-motion as the twisted truth unfolded before her. In a split second, the backpacker, vowing to herself never to let that woman hurt Tilly again, reached for the phone, attempted to wrestle it out of its possessor's grasp and slammed Ivy's knuckles, hard, into the table. Ivy grimaced, staring with bated breath as Margot hurled the device into the opposite wall with force and watched its remnants rebound across the tiled surface.

"I don't know what crazy crap is going on here, but you keep the hell away from Tilly, okay?!" Margot hissed. "You have no idea what that woman did last time. And honestly, you know what? Don't come crying to us when, after a while, she goes and sacrifices you to whatever the hell it is she's into."

After allowing herself time to wipe her face clean with the over-sized sleeves of her coat, Tilly proceeded to stand before her betrothed. "Goodbye, Ivy. I'm so sorry," she whimpered apologetically, though a minuscule trace of vexation was apparent in her tone.

"You really think I'm gonna let you two stroll through that door. You are so wrong. And Fiancé, you are clearly not yourself right now," the brunette remarked, wildly running unsteady hands down her girlfriend's sleeves in desperation, before tenaciously clinging onto the younger woman's forearms. "A wild guess says, you have no real idea what you're saying. But it's okay. It's okay. I'm here to help, like always. Just stay with me. I'll keep you safe from her, alright? I won't let anything happen to you." Ivy made an effort to draw Tilly away from her newfound foe. The dark-eyed Assistant was noticeably shaking, her eyes were flashing in a profoundly unsettling manner. It was as though something of great consequence had severed from within her. She compelled herself to stifle an assortment of explicit insults when she sighted Margot cutting her eyes after her and shaking her head contemptuously behind Tilly.

"I hope you find someone who can make you truly happy," Tilly barely managed to retort; the ache accompanying the dry lump in her throat overcoming her at last.

Tilly succeeded in prying her arms free from her fiancé's grasp but not without some difficulty. She had to counter Ivy's attempts at regaining her vice-like hold on her. And after wincing to herself, the younger girl searched for the source of her shooting pain and became aware of the finger-shaped scarlet marks and fresh crescent-shaped wounds on her forearms which now accompanied numerous fading blemishes. She looked at Ivy, shaken and hurt, and initially, Ivy gaped back at her in sheer horror. But then, what really concerned and outright disturbed Margot, was the way Ivy shot her girlfriend a warning glance which Tilly promptly responded to by concealing her arms from view once more. Margot couldn't stand to share a room with the brunette for another minute. She'd end up being responsible for a murder or vicious assault if she had to and, sensing Tilly was no longer relishing her girlfriend's company either, she offered her hand out to the blonde and made her way out the back-door with Tilly by her side- but not before taking a moment to glower back at Ivy, who looked decidedly dumfounded for once.

As they neared the back-gate, Ivy staggered to the porch in time to see the two of them off. She laughed, a chilling, humorless laugh and her eyes darted from one girl to the other as she insisted on providing the final word. "Fine, I don't need your help. I don't need anyone. But you are both going to suffer for this. You need me way more than I need you, Crazy Girl. So, I'll be at the alter tomorrow, waiting for you to crawl back to me and beg for my forgiveness."

Tilly did not allow herself her only remaining opportunity to turn back. She kept her head buried in the ground, privately hoping her fiancé's final vow was little more than a manipulative untruth, if only for this once. She jolted the resistant gate open and the girls headed back to the same desolate side-walk.

"Sooooo, uh, does this mean you're choosing me?" An apparently exuberant Margot asked. Though she immediately reprimanded herself and apologized for her inadvertently reckless attempt at raising their spirits.

Margot wanted to communicate her elation somehow but she remained gravely concerned about the behavior the brunette had exhibited and surmised that recent events had likely deeply disconcerted Tilly. It harrowed Margot's own soul, seeing the angel sent to hold her heart in any sort of distress. She desired nothing more than the chance to enclasp her love in her warm arms and whisper earnest words of solace. But she thought better of it, comprehending that she had to respect the delicateness of the situation. Her fingers fumbled in search of Tilly's hands, then she seized them and spun smoothly on her heel in time to examine the blonde's expression. She needed reassurance that, in time, Tilly was going to be okay.

"This is so…" The blue-eyed girl averted her gaze, struggling to find a fitting word to respectably sum up what had happened, "…Urgh!" She finished.

Now Margot wasn't sure where to fix her own gaze when the other girl began abruptly entangling her hands in her curls and collapsed gracelessly onto the sidewalk's edge. But to her relief, Tilly promptly adopted a sitting position. Her digits still burrowed into her hair, however, and still, she declined to look anywhere but the ground.

"Well, Daffodil didn't seem too happy," said Margot, in an attempt to draw out that glistening smile she so loved to lose herself in. She stooped down and positioned herself to sit crossed-legged in front of Tilly.

"Margot, it isn't funny, you know!" Tilly whacked the backpacker on the shoulder in jest. "She was as nice as anyone when she wanted to be. I don't think she deserved that and now YOU'VE gone and messed everything up," she scolded half-heartedly, sinking her head into her hands once more.

"Oh, come on! She was totally treating you like I wouldn't even treat my dog..." Said Margot, pausing to admire the endearing way her love's face still brightened at the mention of any kind of animal- especially the four-legged kind, "...if I had one. And my mom hates dogs for some reason, so no dogs for a while," She clarified, trailing off to ruminate on her mom's extensive list of unnerving encounters with canines throughout the years.

"Listen, Tilly. Sometimes things don't work out and it's a shame when they don't but you know, who knows what the future holds? It's kinda exciting. If you stayed with her, you both would have been totally unhappy. And hell, who wants to stay in a loveless relationship?" Margot broke off so she could rest her palm against the blonde's face and tenderly stroked dampened cheeks with a single thumb. "Especially when you're in love with someone else?" Tilly's eyes danced until they regained focus when they reacquainted themselves with Margot's. She unconsciously leaned into the bespectacled girl's touch and tried to heed every word but her head dropped earthward and she started sketching distorted shapes in the gravel with her trainers. She still felt wholly overwhelmed by nauseating guilt.

The dark-blonde hopped to her feet and offered out her hand. Without a second's hesitation, the smaller girl clasped it and was assisted to her feet with one effortless tug. Just where Margot gained such consistently dependable upper body strength was anybody's guess, though, when she thought about it, she suspected it might have had something to do with that godforsaken cucumber-mint-honey lavender water her mom had had her on for years. Tilly almost toppled headfirst into the gravel before steady hands seized her and she found herself falling into the safety of Margot's warm embrace. A moment of relief and then Margot settled her forehead against Tilly's, resuming her hold on her cheek. Their eyes fluttered shut, both of them half-believing they had descended into one of their forever-recurring dreams. The two girls had awaited this moment for far too long.

"I want you to know something, Tills; I am so wildly in love with you, and I'm probably always going to be. The rest is up to you, buuuut- if you'll have me- I'm always gonna be here for you, no matter what kinda day it is," confessed Margot, deep sincerity transparent in her tender expression.

"I love you too, Targot," Tilly disclosed nervously. Both girls' eyes blinked open and Tilly's tentatively searched Margot's.

"Hey, why don't we get out of here? Let's leave H Town for a while. We could go as far away from here as you want. We could head back to Tibet! I know you'd really love that place," the Backpacker suggested, her eyes glowing with excitement.

"Margot, I'd love to. But, you know we can't build our relationship on the past. We're gonna need to do some making of new memories," she said. "Let's go somewhere, then. Anywhere but this place here."

"Where do you wanna go?"

"Wherever you are. But let's start by walking down this the ragged old, silly, grey-brick road, shall we?" chuckled Tilly.

After silently requesting permission, Margot leaned slowly forward to press burning lips against those of her love's. Their eyes drifted closed as snow-white vapor, laced with the heat of their hastened breath, trailed off into the cool, hazy night. Margot gladly lost herself in Tilly's citrus scent, and she guided the impassioned deepening of their kiss. Fingers tangled in ringlets, glasses tilted askew and wondering hands sent vibrations trickling down one another's spines. There in their sweetest reveries, where ecstasy surfaced from within the shadows of their demons, they could at last revel in a moment to contentedly dream awake. It confirmed precisely what they'd figured out long ago; they were destined to always know each other from the moment the bespectacled knight rescued the street girl from getting struck by a car. A rescue she succeeded in on the very same, now deserted road where they stood.

Arm in arm, they advanced along the sidewalk, prepared to embark on their latest adventure into yet uncharted waters. Upon reaching Aurora Bridge, Tilly flashed an appreciative smile at her one time only friend, the Troll. But unbeknownst to the girls, taking advantage of nights cloak to hide them from their eyes, a figure smiled wickedly back at them from behind the statue. The laughter of the two lovers faded into the blackness, as they relaxed their pace to lay their heads upon one another, fingers entwined. Neither one of them had any intention of ever allowing their hands to part.


End file.
